Gillian Polack's Blog, page 333

gillpolack @ 2009-12-13T00:41:00

I didn't lose a single guest today. The loungerrom was a little silent when we realised that not all the party was there, mid-afternoon. It appeared certain people had wandered into some bookspace, though, and took a little while to find their way out.

gillpolack @ 2009-12-11T23:57:00

I'm taking a break from cooking and cleaning and trying to sort some notes. I know I'm losing the paper war, but if I can win this battle by midnight then there will be surfaces to sit on during my Chanukah gathering and, more importantly, no-one can upset my train of thought by shifting things around. I don't know what it is about paper and my place, but most visitors play with it, almost absent-mindedly, and so it moves in interesting ways and to interesting places.

The first set of papers...

gillpolack @ 2009-12-11T13:41:00

Some of my Chanukah decorations have mysteriously transmuted into a Sydney street directory. Chanukah decorations are pretty hard to get in Canberra, so I store mine with care. Obviously 'care' unintentionally included arcane rites and transmutation occurred.

I shall find some pretty paper and many pairs of scissors and my guests tomorrow will make up the deficit by creating Sefardi decorations full of deep symbolism. That'll teach the street directory!

While I'm thinking about it, does anyo...

Why you should not buy my book for Christmas

Some of my writerly friends have started suggesting their new fiction as suitable presents for Christmas. I can't really do that. My reasons?

1. It feels wrong to say "Buy my book."

2. Some of you own it already anyhow. You could, of course, desire an entire library consisting of 340012 copies of the same tome. If this is your secret dream, then Life Through Cellophane is the perfect volume for you. Also, I know for a fact that a bunch of you have already read it, because you emailed me ...

gillpolack @ 2009-12-10T21:58:00

Happiness comes in threes.

Three old, very dear friends have re-appeared in my life over the last few weeks, two through Facebook and the third, just now, through email. I'm going to have to stop complaining. And I might have to leave that violin under the bed till next time things go wrong. My neighbours are going to be very relieved.

gillpolack @ 2009-12-10T19:19:00

Sorry about before. I overloaded and couldn't find the reset button. I cancelled lots of things today and did gentle stuff round the house and feel a lot better for it. Also, the phone stopped ringing.

My reset button for this blog is a meme. anghara had one I haven't done before. I can't guarantee taking it seriously. This is because it assumes a world that has odd limits, and my Earth is most certainly spherical. I can define North and South by caps of ice, East and West are harder ...

gillpolack @ 2009-12-10T13:53:00

On a happier note, I'm emailing my little present tomorrow. It's not too late to give me your email address, if you want a copy.

Much humbugness (because 'humbuggery' just sounds wrong)

Don't read this post if you feel festive and joyful. My grumbly self is emerging. I'll put it back in its box soon, I promise, but I'm letting this whinge happen because it means I get to sit down quietly for a bit. Simply, I hurt.

I'm paying for yesterday and the day before, but it's not nearly as bad as it could be. This is despite the fact that whenever I stop to take a minute's break, the phone rings. It's the day before first candle, and I'm trying to get things together (work and Ch...

gillpolack @ 2009-12-10T01:58:00

Today's excursion was very successful. My class discovered the reason for the mysterious fern garden I discovered yesterday. Most of them have decided to make it their special place when they want peaceful writing time - it really is perfect for contemplation and writing. I discovered that not all the bodies from Queanbeyan Cemetery were returned there after the flood. We all discovered that if you don't preface a visit to a Dada and Surrealist exhibition with the words "This is difficult...

gillpolack @ 2009-12-08T18:24:00

My life is too exciting and yet nothing much happens. Today was a case in point.

I kept making excuses for myself this morning.

The bus was late. It didn't link to the next bus, so I caught the one after that. This was one of the routes the Art Gallery recommends on its website. Much better than driving, the website says. This bus was - naturally - the one that took the long way round. It was a very scenic route and I got to see lots of mountains and parks on the way from urban centre t...